New MacBooks expected in Apple’s Oct 18 event

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New MacBooks are expected to be unveiled on Monday Oct 18, when Apple kicks off what is probably its last big product announcement this year.

Called Unleashed, this is the October Fall event that Apple usually holds in San Francisco. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Unleashed will be another highly polished product “documentary” streamed live from its headquarters, Apple Park.

Apple usually holds three to four events yearly in March followed by the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June and a September event focussed on iPhone and Apple Watch. It closes the year with an October event where new Macs are unveiled.

So in five days’ time, the expectation is that Apple will unveil the long anticipated M1X-powered Macbook Pros.

The Cupertino company is rumoured to be working on new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its in-house designed chip called the M1X processor.

According to US online media, there will be a significant design overhaul of the MacBook Pro line. The new machines are expected to have flatter edges, following the design language of the latest iMac, iPhone and iPad.

Buyers can expect a mini-LED display, more ports and MagSafe for charging. The controversial Touch Bar is expected to be ditched, replaced by a traditional row of function keys.

The new laptops are expected to have a performance boost. The upgraded M1X series will include a 10-core CPU that features eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, along with 16-core or 32-core GPU options and up to 64GB RAM.

There could also be a high-end version of the Mac mini powered by an improved M1 chip with a 10-core CPU and 64GB RAM as well as four Thunderbolt ports.